UB celebrates 50 years of computer science

Hari Srihari discussing CSE's partnership with the U.S. Post Office. Credit: University Archives.

“At 50 years, the Department of Computer and Engineering is stronger than ever.”

Chunming Qiao, chair and SUNY Distinguished Professor

UB Department of Computer Science and Engineering

BUFFALO, N.Y. — In 1967, most people knew nothing about
computers.

Not so at a small, rented office on Ridge Lea Road in Amherst,
where five University at Buffalo professors were creating one of
the nation’s first academic departments to study the emerging
field of computer science.

The professors — including founding chair Anthony Ralston
and Patricia James Eberlein, who often advocated for more women in
computer science — laid the groundwork for what has become
one of the university’s largest and most dynamic academic
departments.

Now, after producing thousands of graduates, some of whom are
world-renowned innovators, UB’s Department of Computer
Science and Engineering (CSE) is celebrating its 50th anniversary
with a four-day event Sept. 28-Oct. 1.

“At 50 years, the Department of Computer Science and
Engineering is stronger than ever. Our student body is growing. We
have more faculty members than ever before. Our research funding is
rising. We have an incredible relationship with our alumni, many of
whom play pivotal roles at some of the world’s leading
technology companies,” says Chunming Qiao, chair of CSE and
SUNY Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and
Engineering.

The celebration will bring together alumni from around the
world, including graduates who work for Google, Microsoft,
Bloomberg and other household names. It will provide an opportunity
for alumni, as well as faculty, students and staff to reflect on
the department’s first 50 years and look toward the
future.

UB President Satish K. Tripathi, himself a professor of computer
science and engineering, will deliver remarks. He will be joined by
fellow CSE faculty member Venu Govindaraju, vice president for
research and economic development at UB, and a SUNY Distinguished
Professor of computer science and engineering; and Liesl Folks,
dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

The keynote speakers are:

Victor Bahl, an alumnus of CSE. He is a distinguished scientist
and director of Microsoft’s Mobility and Networking Research
Group, as well as a fellow of IEEE, the Association for Computing
Machinery (ACM), and the American Association for the Advancement
of Science (AAAS).

Jin-Yi Cai, a former CSE faculty member who is the Steenbock
Professor of Computer Science at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. He is an ACM fellow.

Sung-Mo (Steve) Kang, an alumnus of CSE. He is the former
president of the Korea Advanced Institute of Technology and a
former chancellor of the University of California, Merced. Kang is
a distinguished chair professor at the University of California,
Santa Cruz, and an IEEE fellow and AAAS fellow.

Jian Pei, a former CSE faculty member who is now professor of
computer science at Simon Fraser University. He is an ACM fellow
and IEEE fellow.

The Old Days

Computer scientists at UB in the late 1960s. Credit: University Archives.

Other attendees expected to speak include one of CSE’s
first doctoral graduates, Bruce Shriver, a computer science
academic who previously served as president of the IEEE Computer
Society, and alumnus Hongyi Wu, Batten Chair of Cybersecurity at
Old Dominion University.

The celebration will include undergraduate research
demonstrations, a graduate research conference, tours of Buffalo
and Niagara Falls, a golf outing and an alumni symposium. A
complete program guide is available online.

The event comes as CSE is experiencing tremendous growth. For
example, the number of faculty members is approaching 50, up from
40 seven years ago. Meanwhile, research funding is up from $2.1
million in 2013-14 to $8.6 million in 2016-17, according to
Qiao.

Moving forward

From left to right, Chunming Qiao, Liesl Folks, Charles Zukoski and Satish Tripathi at the unveiling of a signboard for the upcoming celebration. Credit: Sarah D’Iorio.

Robin Li, co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of
Baidu Inc., the Chinese language equivalent to Google, graduated
from CSE in 1994 with a master’s degree. Li, who is unable to
attend the event, recorded a video
message lauding his time at UB.

C.L. Max Nikias, president of the University of Southern
California, received his master’s and PhD in computer science
while at UB in 1980 and 1981, respectively. Nikias, who is also
unable to attend the event, recorded a video message noting
CSE’s many accomplishments that is included in department’s
video.

Handwriting analysis tools developed by CSE researchers has
enabled the U.S. Post Office to automate much of its letter sorting
operations, saving billions of dollars.

Carl Kesselman, a Lovelace medal winner who is credited with
co-inventing grid computing, received computer science and
electrical engineering degrees at UB.